Guardian
by Steelhart
Summary: Chlark. Starting shortly after they meet for the first time, Chloe and Clark connect in a way neither quite understands, but both enjoy, until the events in “Vortex” change their lives again. That is, until certain secrets are revealed.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Guardian

Author: Steelhart

Pairing: First Clana, with Chlark friendship, eventually romantic Chlark

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Eventually violence and moderate language

Spoilers: Most of season 1, a couple episodes of season 2

Short summary: Starting shortly after they meet for the first time, Chloe and Clark connect in a way neither quite understands, but both enjoy, until the events in "Vortex" change their lives again. That is, until certain secrets are revealed.

Gabe Sullivan had always believed in guardian angels. He always knew that whenever the world seemed to want to kick his legs out from underneath him, someone would be there to hold him steadfast. Always knew that he and his daughter were being watched over by something more powerful than the two of them. Gabe always believed guardian angels were around, he just never expected to meet one face to face.

Until the day his daughter brought over Clark Kent.

He knew she was bringing over one of her friends from school, "Bringing someone over after one day of class, must be some kinda record," she had simply neglected to say who it would be.

"You'll find out daddy." She had told him with a cryptic smile and an excitement he hadn't heard from her in a long time.

'It must be someone she really likes being around if it gets that kinda reaction from her.' His curiosity was thoroughly piqued by the time she arrived back at the house, not long after he had returned from his day at the plant.

"Hi daddy!" exclaimed a beaming Chloe Sullivan, towing behind her a nervous young man dressed in flannel and a goofy grin.

"Hi honey, who's this young vict- I mean young man?"

She rolled her eyes at him but the smile never left her face. "This is my new best friend, Clark Kent." As she said this she pulled him forward and shoved him towards her dad. He stuck his hand out nervously, blushing profusely at being called her best friend.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. Chloe talks about you a lot."

Gabe returned the surprisingly strong handshake and replied with a smile, "Not nearly as much as she talks about you, Clark, and please call me Gabe, or Mr. Sullivan if you really want." He smiled warmly at Clark, pretending not to notice that his daughter whispered an exasperated "Dad!" at him for revealing her secret. "It's good to finally meet you."

Gabe knew that the Kents were good people and he had a great deal of respect for them, and he had the feeling that their son was equally as good a person, so he trusted the young man immediately.

During that brief handshake Gabe got the same feeling he always got when he felt his guardian angel was there to save him, and it filled him with a realization: if his daughter dated Clark, if they just stayed friends, even if they stopped speaking altogether, Gabe knew that Clark would always protect her and would always be her own personal guardian angel, no matter what.

His smile grew wider and he asked in a tone somewhere between concerned parent and curious peer, "So what are you two kids planning on doing tonight?"

Chloe answered in her normal energetic tone, "We've got a math quiz tomorrow during third hour, so we're gonna cram for a while, which reminds me, do you have any fresh brewed coffee around? I could really use a cup right now."

"You drink coffee?" an astonished Clark asked her, making her smile in a way that rivaled his classic 'Kent Charm' grin.

"Oh yeah, I don't know how I'd make it through the day without a good cup or two before and after school, though I wish I could get some during school too, that would be great. I should petition the board to allow espresso machines in the cafeteria, and while I'm at it, I should have them fix that wreck they call a school paper. And they should definitely look into getting some different cleaning solution for the bathroom; I could swear something was alive underneath all of that dirt and grime."

He couldn't suppress a laugh at her rambling and didn't stop until she playfully whacked him in the gut, making him feign injury, but still smiling through it all.

"Let's go farm boy, before I make you wish you were back home milking cows and cleaning out stalls," she snarked at him, "see you later daddy, come on Kent, the Pythagorean Theorem isn't gonna learn itself!" With that, she bounded up the stairs to her room, dragging a bewildered Clark Kent behind her.

Gabe waved at their rapidly departing forms, chuckling to himself and muttering, "Poor guy has no idea what he's gotten himself into."


	2. Chapter 2

The textbooks were open for no less than five minutes before the two teens were no longer paying attention to them. Not that it mattered, as both of them already knew everything they needed to for the "surprise quiz" tomorrow.

Instead of math, Clark and Chloe perused a far more interesting subject: each other.

"So Kent, tell me, what's life like here in the lovely little cow-town known as Smallville, Kansas?" Chloe began as she snapped her math book shut.

"I like it here," he stated, a little taken aback at her choice of words, "it's always been my home, and I'll have you know it's much more than a cow-town."

"Let's see, I seem to recall passing herds of cows on the way into town, and even one in the town itself, so I think cow-town fits pretty well as a description."

He forgot that his dad had dropped the family's prized heifer, Bessie, off at the vet the same day Chloe came through, since he was in town to pick up tractor parts anyway. 'You're killing me here, Bess.'

Quickly diverting the attention back to Chloe, he asked her, "Perhaps, but tell me, what's Metropolis like? I've never been there so I don't really know what's there." As soon as the words left his mouth, he noticed Chloe's face beginning to light up and her smile grew wider.

'She looks really pretty when she's all excited like that,' thought Clark. 'Wait, where did that come from?'

"I'm so glad you asked me that Clark, cause it just so happens that I have a truckload of things to tell you about the Big Apricot, my favorite place to be."

'Though Smallville is looking nicer by the minute,' she mused, with an almost imperceptible look at Clark. "But we can save that conversation for a later time; instead I wanna learn more about this leafy little hamlet you call home."

He looked a bit disoriented as he tried to figure out how the conversation took a sudden turn back to him, unknowingly spurning her on with his silence.

"Is it true that this whole town was completely destroyed by a massive meteor shower a few years ago?" Chloe asked excitedly as her natural curiosity and investigative instincts started to kick in.

She didn't seem to notice the way Clark's face paled slightly at the mention of the meteor shower, though he quickly recovered and fired back, "If it was completely destroyed, we wouldn't be here having this conversation right now, would we?"

"So there is a brain behind those baby-blues after all, I never would have guessed." She gave him a smirk to show that she was only teasing him, and was rewarded with a grin that lit up his entire face. Chloe decided right then and there that she was hopelessly in love, even as her heart melted into a puddle. "Of course there's probably a lot I don't know about you, Clark Kent, other than the fact that you live on a farm with cows and pigs. Oh, and that you spend your free time playing with your telescope in a _barn_."

"It's a loft, and that's not all I spend my time doing." He said proudly with a sense of having maybe, finally, won a round.

"Oh really, what kind of exciting night life does Clark Kent have?"

He hadn't expected her to react so fast, so he stuttered out, "I-I-um, I…I have my telescope," he finished with a sigh, knowing he had been beaten. She laughed hard at that declaration, so hard that she fell off of the bed and landed unceremoniously on her butt. "Chloe, are you alright?" a concerned Clark asked, but his fears were dispelled by the fact that she hadn't stopped laughing.

He joined her and they laughed and rolled on the floor for what seemed like hours, till they heard a thumping sound, like something hitting the ceiling from below, and their laughter quieted down until they sat there, out of breath but full of joy.

Meanwhile, Gabe Sullivan stepped down off of the chair he stood on, broom in hand and gigantic self-satisfied grin plastered on his face.

As her laughter died down, Chloe's face took on a more somber expression. "You know, Dad's thinking of moving us back to Metropolis if things don't work out the way we want," she said quietly, her voice catching in her throat ever so slightly.

Clark jerked his head up, all sense of joy drained away, replaced with a feeling in his gut as if someone had just dropped a two-ton safe on him. He wasn't sure why he felt so strongly about it, but he knew deep down that losing her would be one of the worst things he could ever experience, something he never wanted to feel. She was afraid to meet his eyes, afraid of what might be there, worried that maybe he didn't care if she left, and secretly hoping he wanted her to stay. Finally, she summoned up her courage and lifted her head to see his reaction.

His look spoke volumes, and Chloe had to force herself not to leap up and hug him for the words he said to her next: "Please don't go."

She smiled and asked him quietly, "Why not? Is there something for me in Smallville worth staying for?"

"There are a lot of things."

"Such as?"

"Me."

She raised an eyebrow. "I mean us…I mean, um, all of your friends, like me and Pete," he quickly averted her eyes and blushed deeply, hoping she didn't catch onto the underlying current in his words.

She did, but she chose to let it slide when she saw the embarrassment on his face, and simply said, "Well then, I guess I'll just have to convince my dad to let us stay in Smallville, since you poor boys will be all sad and lonely otherwise." The relief on his face was instantaneous as his fear washed away, replaced with a smile that melted the few parts of her heart that had managed to solidify again.

It was then that he noticed the clock behind her, and his mood sank a little when he realized how much time had zipped by while he enjoyed being around the spunky little blond with a smile that could disarm a nuclear warhead.

"I have to start heading back home, I need to do my chores before it gets dark," he reluctantly admitted to her, trying not to notice the look of sadness in her eyes at knowing this.

"Ok, I'll walk you to the door, can't keep all the cows waiting now can we?" He looked at her with a barely concealed smirk, so she gave him an affectionate punch to the arm, and laughed as he acted hurt by it.

"Good night Mr. Sullivan, it was nice to meet you." Clark said, waving to Gabe as he sat at the dinner table.

"Good night Clark, same to you," he answered with a wave and a smile as Clark walked out the front door, leaving Chloe staring out at him as he stepped off the porch.

After she watched him for a moment, she turned to her father and asked, "So what did you think of him daddy?"

"Can't stand him, he's got no personality, plus he was wearing flannel." He replied with a sly grin, as Chloe fixed him with an immensely disbelieving stare. "I'm kidding honey. He's a great kid, I like him a lot, and I'm happy that you two met." The tense look in her eyes faded away and the brightness returned anew, along with a happy smile that nearly touched her ears.

Chloe walked over to her dad as he read the paper and hugged him from behind. "Daddy, I don't want to go back to Metropolis, I like it here." Gabe smiled knowingly, and cast a look out the window at Clark's silhouette, the setting sun placing a halo on his head as he walked. "I know sweetie, me too."


	3. Chapter 3

Pete Ross walked up to his two best friends as they stood at their lockers gathering books, his face hidden by his grin.

"What are you two up to on this exceptionally fine day?"

Turning towards him, Chloe and Clark shared a look as both pairs of eyebrows went up. There was no reason for Pete to be this happy this early in the morning. It was the first day of finals week, after all.

Clark turned to him and cautiously asked, "Are you feeling alright?"

Pete just smiled and clapped them both on the back before saying, "The Boss has got a date this weekend, and tonight too."

Picking up on Clark's silence, Chloe spoke up: "It's only Monday Pete, how do you already have a date? More than one, for that matter?"

"What can I say? When you're as hot as I am, there just aren't words for it." He was distracted by a tall brunette with a mini-skirt that sauntered by, and Pete wasted no time in heading off after her, shouting back to his friends that he would catch up to them later.

They just stared after him for a moment before they looked at one another, and couldn't hold in their laughter anymore.

"He's crazy!" Exclaimed Chloe, a little winded from laughing so hard.

"That's Pete for you, he's always had a way with women." A grinning Clark replied, looking every bit amused at his best friend's apparent weakness for anything with a short skirt and a large smile. "Imagine how bad he'll be after Thursday when school's done for the year."

School would be out after finals this week, so the trio had all summer to hang out and do whatever they felt the urge to do or not to do.

Chloe was looking forward to it. The thing she was excited about the most was getting to spend some time with Clark, preferably alone. She was planning to hang out with Pete too, since he was also her friend, but Clark was the one she most wanted to be around. She felt safe when he was with her, as if he was her bodyguard, trustworthy and loyal, always willing to protect her from any danger.

Looking at Clark as he stood next to her, she made a little mental note to ask where the best places to swim were in this lovely little town of Smallville.

'Clark in swimming trunks and nothing else, I could die happily after seeing that.'

"So while Pete's off gallivanting after every girl in the school, you're doing what? Hanging out on the sidelines, cheering him on as part of the pom-pom brigade?" Stifling a laugh at that mental image, she looked him in the eye.

Before he could give a snappy reply that she knew he didn't have, the first bell rang. He sighed in relief and crooked his arm in her direction, as though he was escorting her to the ball.

"I think that's our cue to exit, isn't it?"

Chloe took his arm with a smile and said, "Why yes, I believe it is, good thing we're both going to the same class." At that, they walked off towards first block, arm in arm, laughing the entire way.

Once class was over, Clark and Chloe wandered out of the classroom and headed to their respective lockers, Chloe coming over to his once she was finished at hers.

He looked up at her and said, "By the way, my mom wanted to know if you'd like to come over for dinner tonight, she's been cooking up a storm all day."

"Wow, I haven't even met your parents yet Kent, and they're already inviting me over for dinner?"

Blushing a bit, Clark replied, "Uh…well…you're my friend, and my parents are very trusting people, so having you over without knowing you other than what I tell them isn't that big of a deal."

Chloe thought about it for a moment before giving a sideways smile and saying, "So you talk about me a lot huh Kent?"

He blushed.

"Not that much, I've mentioned you once or twice." He decided against telling her that he'd spent an hour and a half telling his mom about his new best friend last night.

"Well, I'm glad I at least merit a mention in the Kent household."

Clark's face lit up in an honest grin as he said, "I think you merit more than that Chloe."

Again they were interrupted from their happy banter by the next bell, so Chloe merely punched his arm and headed off, throwing a, "You coming Kent?" over her shoulder at him.

He closed his locker and took two giant strides to catch up to her, walking beside her to class.

That night, Clark ran through his chores at twice his normal speed, and nearly twenty times the speed of a normal person. Martha Kent noticed his apparent rush to get done and, holding back a smile, she stood at the sink waiting for him to get in.

"Hi mom." Clark came in through the front door and wandered over to the fridge to pull out some orange juice so he could quench his thirst.

"Use a glass Clark and hello." She said as she threw a dish towel at his head playfully. "She's coming tonight isn't she."

It wasn't a question so much as a statement of fact, since she'd known from the instant he got home, grinning from ear to ear and blushing as soon as she looked at him.

He forced his orange juice to stay in his mouth as he sputtered out, "How did you know she said yes?"

She merely smiled and said, "A mother knows her own son Clark."

His face was bright red, and he knew it, so he changed the subject: "So how's dinner coming?"

Martha smiled again at her son's obvious embarrassment and turned back to the sink, "It should be ready within an hour, just make sure the table's set and you're washed up before we eat."

"Ok mom, do you know where dad is?"

"Yes, he's out in the barn working on the tractor, it died again today."

"Thanks mom." He kissed her on the cheek and headed out the back door.

She watched him walk out for a moment; motherly pride stretched across her face at the son she knew was destined for bigger and better things than this farm, though it broke her heart a little to know he would one day have to leave to fulfill that destiny.

"Hey son, do me a favor and lift this thing up so I can get underneath," said Jonathan Kent as Clark walked into the barn.

"Sure thing dad." Clark used one arm to grab the front of the tractor and lift it straight up into the air as though it weighed no more than a piece of paper.

"Ah, thank you, so I hear we're going to have a guest for dinner tonight." He said teasingly, as his wife/accomplice had already informed him of Clark's mood when he got home from school. Clark let out an exasperated sigh, but didn't look particularly upset about his dad's newfound knowledge.

"Mom told you didn't she?" Clark figured he was right with that deduction, and was secretly glad that his parents were already warming up to Chloe without actually having met her yet.

"She may have mentioned it at some point, she seems excited to cook for someone other than us for a change, and she's making extra so there should be leftovers for later."

Clark looked at him with raised eyebrows.

Jonathan laughed and said, "Alright so between the two of us there probably won't be, but you never know son."

Clark grinned.

"There we go, that should be good for now, you can go ahead and put it back down Clark." He did, and while he was dusting off his hands, he heard a car pull up in the driveway. Though a huge grin erupted across his face, he still tried to hide it from his dad.

Jonathan caught it, and chuckled a bit saying, "Go ahead and meet her out there son, I have to wash up and give your mom a hand in the kitchen anyway."

Still grinning like a madman, Clark turned and headed back out of the barn, choosing to ignore his dad's obvious amusement.


	4. Chapter 4

Gabe's car pulled into the Kent driveway and stopped near the house as he turned to face his already highly caffeinated daughter.

"I think we're at the wrong house, let me turn around and head-"

"No! Daddy, don't you dare!" She fixed him with an evil glare, and he smiled at her lovingly.

"I'm just kidding honey, I know we're in the right place. You must be really excited."

The glare faded a bit, but Chloe still kept her eye on him as she said, "I guess you could say that, it's not like it's that big of a deal or anything, it's just dinner." Even as she said it, she knew it was a lie; it was a huge deal to her, but she wasn't going to let her dad know that. She'd never live it down.

"If you say so honey, oh look here comes the valet, I better let him know I'm not letting him get behind the wheel of my car, he's way too young to drive yet."

Clark had stepped out of the barn and was making his way over to the Sullivan's vehicle, trying to appear nonchalant about the whole situation.

"Daddy!" she said with a playful swat to Gabe's arm, causing a raucous bout of laughter to erupt from him.

Clark, having not heard any of what went on, walked up to the car and leaned down, "Hello Mr. Sullivan, how are you today?"

"I'm doing just fine Clark, thank you for asking, how 'bout yourself?" Gabe was still surprised at Clark's manners, a refreshing change of pace from most of the people he'd known. 'They raise 'em good out here.'

"I'm doing just fine, hi Chloe."

"Hi Clark!" Chloe's response had been bubblier than she'd intended and she hoped neither of them had noticed it.

"Well, I suppose I should let her get out so she can go chow down for a while, just as soon as I figure out how to unlock these darn doors." He made a show of fumbling with the door locks, to Clark's amusement and Chloe's irritation.

Finally, he seemed to get it right, and Chloe's door was unlocked. Before she could open it though, Clark sprinted around to the other side and got the door for her, holding his hand out to her to help Chloe get out.

"Thanks Kent, I don't know if I could have opened that big heavy door by myself," Chloe snarked at Clark, doing her best not to let out a girlish squee at being treated so nicely. Clark blushed a little, but still kept his hand out for her, and was happy when she took it and stepped out of the car.

He closed the door behind her and walked back around to the driver's side, leaning down to say goodbye to Gabe.

"Take good care of her Clark, I'll be back in a few hours to pick her up. Try not to let her eat any beans though, I can't fit any more air fresheners in here without taking out the back seat."

Horrified, Chloe hissed, "Dad!" Clark couldn't hold back a laugh, so Chloe rewarded his willpower with a solid punch to the arm. Gabe was laughing too, and decided he had best leave before he got punched again.

Waving at the two teens, he put the car into reverse and said, "Have fun sweetheart, don't do anything I wouldn't do. Bye Clark."

"Bye Mr. Sullivan, thank you for dropping her off tonight."

"I know she's in good hands; remember, I'll be back in a few hours." At that, he gave a final wave and started back down the driveway, a contented smile on his face at knowing she really was in good hands with the Kents, and especially with Clark.

Chloe was holding her head in her hands, thoroughly embarrassed about her dad as usual, but even more so because it had been in front of Clark.

The object of her thoughts turned away from the driveway and back to her, noticing for the first time the look on her face and the reaction her dad had gotten out of her. It made him smile, and he touched her shoulder ever so lightly to get her attention, amazed at how soft and warm she felt under his hand.

"Chloe, hey, you still with me there?"

She looked up and flashed him a grin in return, "Yep, and I'm ready to eat!" His hand lingered a moment more before he pulled away, not noticing the look of disappointment in her eyes at the loss of touch.

"I think mom's about done so let's head in and get situated, she's looking forward to meeting you."

"The feeling's mutual, Clark." Chloe had heard quite a bit about the Kents since arriving in Smallville, and a lot of it had been about Martha Kent's amazing food. Chloe wanted to meet her, and Jonathan too, but above all she wanted to spend the night with Clark, hanging out and having fun.

She followed him up to the house with a spring in her step and a wandering eye that took in everything around her: the house, the barn, the fields, all the animals, Clark's butt.

Forcing herself to look away, Chloe bounded up the porch steps and strode confidently into the Kent household for the first time.

-----------------

Immediately upon stepping through the door, two things became apparent to Chloe: Clark's mom had indeed been cooking up a storm, and it smelled mouthwateringly fantastic.

Jonathan and Martha were in the process of putting plates of food on the table, but they paused when they heard the door open.

Doing his best to mask his nervous smile, Clark started the introductions, "Mom, dad, this is Chloe."

Martha was the first to reply, smiling warmly as she said, "Hi Chloe, it's nice to meet you, we've heard so much."

Chiming in, Jonathan said, "Yes, you're all he's talked about for the past few days, it's good to finally meet the person behind the descriptions." Clark's blush seemed to cover his entire head, and he lowered his face to stare intently at the ground.

"Oh really? Wow, I haven't heard anything about the two of you." With this, Chloe elbowed Clark in the ribs and laughed when he rubbed them while mouthing the word "Ow."

They all shared a laugh until Martha eventually urged them all to the table, "It's going to get cold if we wait around much longer, and there isn't enough room in the fridge for many leftovers." Clark and Jonathan shared a look, and the smiles on their faces grew devious.

Taking a seat next to Clark, which caused her heart to skip a beat, Chloe couldn't help but catch the look between father and son. She looked to Martha for an explanation, but the answer she got only succeeded in confusing her further: "Make sure you get as much as you can as quick as you can Chloe, it's safer that way."

Still thoroughly lost, she turned to Clark, and he folded very quickly under her steely gaze, "Dad and I tend to eat a lot and eat it fast."

She stared at him for a few seconds, and then erupted in laughter, which Martha picked up on and amplified, while Clark and Jonathan just rolled their eyes.

After a couple of minutes, the two women had calmed down enough to begin placing food on their plates, taking extra care to get as much as they thought they could handle before handing it over to the Kent men to finish off.

As the plate of steaks was passed around, Clark speared one with his fork and held it triumphantly in front of him before plopping it down on his plate with a victorious grin, as though he'd just slain some ancient beast and saved a kingdom. Throughout his whole display, Chloe was trying not to let the water spurt out of her nose as she stifled what was sure to be a gut-busting laugh.

His parents chose to stare at their food and not look up, knowing he'd done something very teenager-ish.

He caught Chloe staring at him, and his blush came back with a vengeance as he passed the plate over to her, their hands brushing ever so slightly as she reached for the plate, making it her turn to blush as she took it from him.

They all ate in silence for a few moments before Jonathan finally spoke up, "So Chloe, how do you like our little town? I know it's no Metropolis, but it has its good sides."

Chloe smiled, and answered honestly, "I like it here, at first I didn't really think I could get used to being in so small a place after Metropolis, but it kinda grew on me." She cast a brief sideways glance at Clark, who was listening intently to her as she spoke and didn't notice the look.

Martha saw it though, and she smiled inwardly. She liked Chloe, she was very energetic and outgoing, a perfect fit for her son. Not to mention she was quite beautiful and intelligent, and given the way the two teens had looked at each other earlier, there was definitely a mutual attraction which warmed her heart.

"Leaving the big Apricot isn't an easy thing to do, but us Metropolis girls can deal with anything, right Chloe?"

"Mrs. Kent, I didn't know you were from Metropolis, though I guess that would mean Clark would've had to tell me." She glared at him, and he smiled sheepishly at her before finishing off the food on his plate.

"Born and raised, but after college I married the man of my dreams and moved here, and I couldn't be happier." Martha took her husband's hand in hers and looked adoringly into his eyes, a look which he mirrored in his own gaze.

Chloe just watched and felt her heart melt a little as she imagined the same thing happening to her someday, with another Smallville farm boy named Kent.

Having finished all of the food on the table, everyone began to clean up after themselves, with Chloe volunteering to help wash the dishes. Jonathan then remembered something he'd wanted to ask Chloe, but hadn't found the best time to do so.

"So Chloe, has Clark shown you the loft in the barn yet?"

"No, why, is there something of particular interest up there?"

Jonathan's smile grew wider and he said, "Actually, yes, I built Clark a little area of his own up there, so he could get away and have time to himself if he needed to." Pride was evident in his voice, as he knew he had done a great job on the loft, even adding lights to it so there wouldn't be any perpetual darkness.

"Oh really? I hadn't heard of it, though with Clark I'm not very surprised." She winked at Clark, and he smiled to cover up his embarrassment at being ousted by his dad. "Clark, when we're done with the dishes here, you're taking me out there to see this loft."

"But-"

"No buts Clark, you're doing it." He sighed and stopped protesting, knowing in the back of his mind that he wouldn't be able to win anyway.

Jonathan was doing his best to hold back the laughter at an all-too-familiar scene, having had to experience things like that when he was courting Martha. He failed. Everyone joined in, though Clark only chuckled politely and looked defeated.

Chloe dried the last dish, and turned to look at Clark, "Alright, it's time for you to show me the big secret you've been hiding." Clark panicked for a second before remember she meant the loft, and with a nervous smile he started towards the back door, beckoning her to follow him. "See you later Mr. and Mrs. Kent, it was very nice to meet you!"

"Night Chloe, same here." They watched Chloe bound out the door after their son, and Jonathan put his arm around his wife.

"They fit together so well, I'm glad they're friends, he looks so happy."

He looked down at her, smiling, and said, "Metropolis girls have that effect on you." She smiled back at him, and they kissed like two people still passionately in love.

-----------------

Clark led her up the steps in the barn, taking care to not let her fall if she slipped at all, and paused when they reached the top step.

"Well, here it is, the big secret." Chloe stepped around him and walked through the loft, stopping to look at everything she found within, while Clark stood in the middle watching her wander around. "Dad calls it my Fortress of Solitude."

He liked to watch her, she had so much energy that was evident in every step she took, with every word that she uttered, and with every gesture she made.

'It must be all the coffee she drinks,' he thought with a small little grin.

He was so lost in his own thoughts about Chloe that he didn't notice when she had turned to him and was addressing him to his face. Blinking, he saw her staring at him expectantly and, blushing profusely, asked what she had said.

Chloe rolled her eyes at him, but merely reiterated herself, "I asked why you chose to keep this from me when it seems like a big part of your life."

"We all have secrets Chloe, some of which are bigger than others; I would have told you soon anyway, but I guess now's as good a time as any for you to find out since you're already here." He replied, almost defensively.

She thought about it for a moment, then nodded nearly imperceptibly to herself. "I guess that makes sense, but no more secrets from here on out, ok Kent?"

His smile could have lit up an airfield as he said, "No more secrets Chloe."

"Good." Her smile matched his and they stood for a minute just looking at each other.

Then out of nowhere she stepped up to him and pulled his head down to hers, planting her lips on his and kissing him as best she could manage with the awkward angle. Unsure what to do, Clark held back from doing anything, but after a few seconds he felt the urge to kiss her back.

He was out of luck though, as she pulled away and simply looked up at him while licking her lips, trying to taste as much of him as she dared. Clark knew his face had to be a mask of confusion, covering up the fact that he really wanted to kiss her again.

"I know you've been thinking about that all day, so I wanted to get it out of the way so we can be friends." He didn't know what to say, so he just looked at her.

She smiled, and at that moment they both noticed the headlights coming up the driveway, which Chloe knew was her dad coming to pick her up.

She poked Clark in the chest with her index finger, saying, "I'll see you at school tomorrow Kent, try not to look so flabbergasted though, it doesn't suit you very well."

He managed a grin and a nod at her as she headed off down the stairs to the waiting car outside, hoping the redness in his cheeks would someday go down.

Halfway down the steps she turned and looked back to him, "I had a great time tonight Clark, hopefully we can do it more often, good night!" At this, she smiled and headed out of the barn, leaving a happily confused Clark Kent standing atop the stairwell, trying to comprehend all that had just happened.

Deciding he wouldn't be able to make sense of it for, probably, a while, he resigned himself to what he did know.

'Summer vacation is going to be interesting this year,' he thought with a grin and a happy little leap into the air as he headed back down the stairs to go check on his parents. 'Very interesting indeed.'


	5. Chapter 5

School was finally out for the summer, and the trio couldn't be happier as they wandered out of the school and headed towards the bus. It had been nearly a week since Chloe's visit to the Kent farm, and the kiss that had followed shortly thereafter in Clark's loft.

The two teens had shared awkward looks for the days after, mostly just on Clark's part, and their mutual best friend Pete Ross had been asking them what had happened. Though he had suspected what was up for a while, he still chose to keep prodding gently till they told him straight up.

"So, now that school's out what's the first thing we should do to celebrate?"

"Swimming sounds good." Chloe had spurted that suggestion out almost a little too quickly, and she knew it. Clark and Pete didn't notice, and actually agreed with her, so the plan was set to go swimming at Crater Lake sometime within the next few days.

"I don't know about the two of you but I plan on catching up on some sleep over the next few months, whenever I'm not out with some fine ladies." Pete stated this with a knowing grin at his two friends, since they were what he referred to as 'The Dateless Wonders.'

"Sounds good Pete, I was planning on doing the same thing, although minus the 'fine ladies' part and all." Chloe replied with a slight glare at Pete. Clark just walked between the two of them, smiling and happy to be with his two best friends. "What are your plans Kent?"

He appeared to think for a moment as he climbed onto the bus in front of the other two, and slid into a seat towards the back. Pete sat next to him, and Chloe sat behind them.

"I'm planning on doing some work around the farm, and I guess beyond that probably just hang out with you two."

Chloe poked her head in between them from her seat and questioned, "Work? It's summer Clark, why would you want to do work when you're supposed to be lounging around a pool, wearing as little as possible and getting as much sun as you can?"

They both turned and looked at Chloe with bemused grins on their faces, Clark felt himself getting a little red in the cheeks at Chloe's insinuation. Chloe hadn't realized what she'd said at first, but it was slowly starting to dawn on her, and she felt her own face getting red as well.

"Well, you know what I mean." As they turned back to look at the front of the bus, Clark and Pete shared a look they felt would become fairly regular over the course of the summer.

The bus rumbled along the road as the three friends continued to work out plans for what they would try to accomplish over the coming months, until they reached the Ross estate.

"End of the line for me, but I'll see the two of you tomorrow at Crater Lake, nice and early." He knew Chloe didn't enjoy getting up early, so he directed it more at her. It wouldn't faze Clark any, what with him getting up most days at an hour that Pete felt shouldn't exist on a clock. Clapping Clark on the back, he got up and headed off the bus to his driveway, stopping to wave as the bus pulled away and headed towards its next destination.

When Pete had vacated his seat, Chloe had taken the initiative to move herself up to sit next to Clark, enjoying his proximity to her, though she knew he was feeling a little awkward around her still, but not nearly as much as before.

She smiled warmly at him and asked, "So Kent, how are the cows?"

Clark's eyes looked puzzled for a moment, before his memory kicked in and his smile began to grow in wattage, firing back at her, "They're doing just fine, how are all your empty cups of coffee doing?"

All she could respond with was a playful slap to his arm and a poke to his ribs. They laughed for a few moments before they were forced to regain some control over their breathing. The bus was virtually empty by that time, yet the two friends continued to sit in the same seat and talk.

"So are you looking forward to swimming tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I haven't had a chance to see this, what's it called, Crater Lake yet, so I'm excited about that."

"You'll like it, it's big and surrounded by woods, it's really pretty." As she smiled up at him, a small thought crept into Clark's brain: 'Though not nearly as pretty as some things.' That little revelation was placed on the backburner, as he still wasn't sure what to make of his feelings after the kiss they had shared.

"Well then, I'm even more excited about it then, given the ringing endorsement of the resident farm boy and the town pimp." He laughed at her, deciding he should just enjoy being with her and worry about how he felt at a different time, when he could really sit down and think things through.

The next stop was Chloe's, and she reluctantly stood up to exit the bus, leaning down to Clark, "I'll see you in the morning Kent, don't forget to bring some sunscreen." Her mind briefly filled with the image of a wet Clark rubbing suntan lotion all over her back, but she quickly banished it, knowing he was starting to look at her oddly.

"I'll be sure to remember that Chloe, see you later."

"Ok, bye Clark." She hopped off the bus and wandered up her driveway, turning back just enough to see a certain farm boy staring at her through the window before the bus clambered away noisily.

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Morning came quickly and abruptly, or at least, that's the way it seemed to Chloe.

"How does a person function this early in the day?" She mumbled into her pillow as her alarm incessantly chimed at her. After a few lazy swipes at it, she finally managed to knock the annoying thing off her nightstand and onto the floor, although it continued to drone on. She forced herself to sit up, and with a sigh that turned into a yawn, she reached down and turned it off.

'Well, for being ungodly early, the view is still very nice,' she thought as she looked at the window. She got up and headed downstairs, yawning all the way down. As the cobwebs cleared out of her mind, and she shook off the sleepiness with a cup of coffee from the kitchen, Chloe started to run through her plans for today. The smile that grew on her face became both mischievous and overtly excited at what was to come when she made it out to Crater Lake.

"Shirtless farm boy, beautiful lake, and no responsibilities pulling me away, today is looking to be absurdly fun." Pouring herself another cup of coffee, she headed back up stairs to get her stuff around for the trek out to the lake later, wondering what the two boys were up to right now.

----------------

At that moment, Clark had been eating breakfast. He had already finished all of his chores an hour ago so he'd have plenty of time to hang out with his friends later in the day.

'Mom's pancakes could make anybody wanna rush through their chores, especially the blueberry kind.' He was on his fourth helping, and Martha was getting annoyed, at one point muttering something about being "eaten out of house and home."

Just as he was set to spear the last pancake on his plate, Jonathan wandered in from the field with a hungry look on his face. He still speared it anyway, knowing Martha was cooking up a plate for his dad and probably starting to get upset with him for eating so much.

Finishing up his breakfast, Clark grabbed up his plate and the glass of milk he had chugged and placed them in the sink. Kissing him mom and patting his dad on the shoulder, Clark moseyed upstairs to grab his stuff for the day. He was really looking forward to swimming later on, it had already been a bit of a scorcher today, and the sun had barely finished rising in the sky.

'Have to remember to grab the sunscreen, don't want Chloe getting angry at me and leaving. That would put a pretty hefty damper on the rest of the day.' Sorting through his drawers, a slight panic began to creep into his mind. He couldn't find his swimming trunks. He began frantically tearing through all of the possible clothing areas in his room, under his bed, in the hall, and he still had no luck.

As a last ditch effort, he sprinted out to the loft and looted around for a bit. There, on the arm of the couch along with a white t-shirt were his trunks, and he breathed a deep sigh of relief before grabbing them and zipping back to his room to gather the rest of the stuff he needed.

'That could have been bad, imagine if I'd shown up without any swim trunks to the lake, they'd probably be able to hear the laughter all the way to Metropolis.' He grabbed his old gym bag and starting stuff his things in it, wondering briefly what Chloe's reaction would be if he'd forgotten his shorts.

The redness in his cheeks at that thought nearly matched that of his face after the kiss the other day. He still hadn't found time to think about his feelings after that little experience, wanting to concentrate more on other things, like today's little excursion to the lake for an afternoon of fun and frivolity. Clark had planned on calling Pete to see what all he needed to bring, but decided it would be better if he didn't bug him this early, there was no way of knowing if Pete was even up yet or not.

-----------

As a matter of fact, Pete was indeed still asleep, not planning to get up for at least another hour or two, even if there was a chance to swim in a cool, refreshing lake with his two best friends. He smiled contentedly and rolled over, facing away from the window and the sunlight that strewed in from it.

The next couple of hours went by fast for all involved, except Pete, who was still asleep at the time the three teens were supposed to meet at the lake.

Clark headed out his front door, basking in the glow of the warm sun, and feeling happier than he had in awhile. Adjusting the strap on his bag, he chose to walk at normal speed to Crater Lake, so he could enjoy the scenery that usually blurred by without affecting him any. He set out in the general direction of the lake, in high spirits and pumped up to have a chance to hang out with his friends.

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Chloe had just finished filling up a large thermos with her favorite coffee and checked her bag to make sure she had everything she'd thought she may need.

'Extra clothes to change into, a nice big book in case I get bored,' she doubted that she would, especially since a certain farm boy would be half-naked and wet while he ran around her. 'Got my thermos, my phone, and sunscreen, hopefully Clark brought some though and I won't need to use this one.'

The thought from earlier popped into her head, and she couldn't suppress the grin at the idea of it.

'A girl can hope, can't she?' Grabbing her shoulder bag and her thermos, Chloe left her father a note on the table and headed out the door, wanting to get to the lake as soon as possible. As she walked down the path Clark told her would lead directly there, Chloe did her best not to sprint the rest of the way.

"Today is going to be a good day," she said out loud to herself, knowing she was right as she strode onward.


	6. Chapter 6

Chloe arrived at the lake first, taking a moment to absorb what was one of the most serene places she'd seen in quite awhile. The view was gorgeous, with crystal clear water glinting in the sun, gigantic trees lining all sides of the lake, and some small mountains in the background, making her feel like she'd stepped into a picture from a nature magazine.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, savoring the fresh air for a few seconds before setting out to find a place to sit and wait for her two best friends. There was a little spot on the beach that looked nice and warm, so Chloe took the blanket she'd grabbed at the last second and spread it out on the sand.

Sitting down, she noticed that there were already a half dozen people swimming and socializing all around the lake. It didn't really surprise her any, it was a pretty hot day out today after all, though she felt a little sad that it wouldn't be just her and her boys having fun together.

'Oh well, we'll just make our own fun and not worry about them.' Chloe smiled to herself, mentally running through all of the things they could do today before they had to go their separate ways. As she neared number 23 on her list, the soft padding of feet on sand drew her attention to the left and subsequently to the person wandering her way. "You're not wearing plaid for once, are you feeling alright Kent?"

"Good morning to you too Chloe."

"Ugh, don't remind me."

"If you're planning to be a world-renowned journalist, I think you're going to have to get used to getting up early in the day."

Chloe glared at him for a moment before firing back, "In the future, yes, but not right now. Right now I'm supposed to sleep in as much as possible and enjoy being young."

Clark just shook his head and laughed, knowing he wouldn't win this argument anytime soon. He took a glance around, and noticed his other best friend wasn't here yet. Turning to Chloe he asked, "Have you seen Pete yet, I would've thought he'd be the first one here today."

"I got here a few minutes ago and he wasn't anywhere around so I'm guessing he's not awake yet. Or he spied some bikini-clad beach bunny and decided to go pretend he was Thumper."

Chloe didn't see the smirk that lit up Clark's face, and he had no intention of letting her see it. 'No need to give her more ammunition to use against me.'

"I guess we'll just have to kill time until he gets here, any suggestions?"

"Well, let's see, we have cool water, a warm day, and a scenic beach… I know! Let's go inside and play video games!" She grinned up at him, knowing full well what his reply would be.

"Sounds good, let's go." He started walking away, leaving Chloe sitting on the beach in confusion.

"Wait, what?" That wasn't what she expected him to say, not even close. "What about swimming, and hanging out, and not having any cares in the world?"

Clark had stopped walking away, unable to control himself any longer as he turned back to her. Chloe's confusion only grew when she saw that his entire face was covered in the most mischievous grin she'd seen on him to date.

Before she could open her mouth, Clark looked her dead in the eyes and said, "Had you going didn't I?"

Disbelieving eyes stared back at him, and he slowly began to panic inside. 'Maybe she won't think it was funny, maybe she'll get up and leave and then it'll just be me and Pete.' The next few seconds were terrifying for him, but the smile on Chloe's face managed to ease his fears and he relaxed slightly.

"Very funny farm boy, you should become a stand-up comedian, but be careful or someone might push you off the stage." Relief washed over him, and his fear was replaced with the feeling of good-natured snarking that only Chloe could deliver.

He smiled at her and took another look around at the scenery, taking in all that he could before sitting down next to her. "I suppose we could go ahead and start swimming without Pete, he might not be too happy about it, but it's his loss for not being here already."

"This is true, and who knows if he will or not, after all, beach bunnies really like to hop."

"Chloe!"

Raising her hands to calm him down Chloe said, "I'm just saying Clark, it's one of many possibilities for the delay." Shaking his head at her, Clark watched as she reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out a thermos of what he assumed was probably coffee. After taking a long sip, Chloe replaced the lid and noticed Clark staring at her out of the corner of her eye.

"It's still early in the day, and caffeine helps me wake up and be perky and sassy and all the other things that you like about me."

He regarded her with an amused grin and said, "I wasn't aware the things that make you my friend are all contained with a cup of beans and hot liquid, makes me wonder about the real you."

"You'll just have to wait and find out Kent, I'm not giving up my secrets just yet."

'You're not the only one with secrets Chloe.' He thought it but didn't say it, not knowing how she'd react and wondering quietly if he really would mind telling her more about it.

That train of thought was quickly derailed as a voice cut through the air, aimed directly at where he and Chloe sat.


End file.
